Switch-heating device.



Du F. VAUGHAN SWITCH HEATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION man mamas. 191a.

Patented July 23, 191%.

2 SHEETS-SHEET D. F. VAUGHAN SWITCH HEATING DIN/HIE.

APPLICATION FILED man. 23, man

Patented J 1111115? 23, 11918..

2 swans-4mm 2.

/ of the track rails; fourth,to provide a device DAVID F. VAUGHAN, 01E RIVERTON, NEW JERSEY.

SWITCH-HEATING- DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patente .nu rare.

Application filed March 23, 1918. Serial No. 22 1,1117.

10 means to protect railroad structures from ice and snow at desired points to insure the proper functioning of switches, movable point frogs and other mobile orstationary parts necessary in the operation of railroads.

The object of my invention is: first, to provide a novel, simple and efficient device, including a fuel burner or burners which may be readily applied to and removed from railroad structures and which when in service will melt snow as rapidly at it reaches and tends to accumulate in the regions protected by the device and which will prevent the formation of ice in the protected regions; I second, to provide a novel means to prevent wind or the draft induced by rapidly moving trains from extinguishing the flame at the burner or burners; third, to provide a novel device constructed of relatively movable units connected by flexible parts to a common so source of fuel supply so that the units may pendently of the rails without detriment to the connections occasioned by the vibrations having electrically insulated end portions adapted to be supported by the track rails to to avoid short-circuiting where rails are used as conductors for use in connection with signals 1 or for other purposes.

With the above and related ob ects in view, my invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention,

Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a railroad structure showing a switch provided with at protecting device embodying my in.-

vention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sect on of the railroad structure and protecting device, en-

larged and partly broken away, on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of one of the burners and adjuncts.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section of one of the burners, on line ll- 1 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 3 designates the track rails, 5 the movable switch rails and G the cross ties supporting the rails of a railroad switch, the construction and opera tion of which are well known to persons skilled in this art.

My improved device, as herein illustrated, comprises a series of heating units 7, a common pipeor SOUTWJ of fuel supply 8 for the units, and flexible connections 9 between the units 7 and the source of fuel supply 8. The units 7 extend transversely of the railroad track between the ties 6 and through and between the spaces beneath the respec tive track and switch rails 3 and 5.

The body portion of each unit 7 is formed by a fuel pipe 10 made in two sections which are arranged end to end and connected by a suitable insulating coupling 11, to electrically insulate the two sections, the whole forming, in effect, a continuous pipe. One end portion of the fuel pipe 10 has a collar 12 fixed thereon and provided with a jaw 13 adapted to extend over and embrace the outer base flange 14 of one track rail 3; and the other end portion of the fuel pipe 10 has a collar 15 which is slidable longitudinally thereon and provided with a jaw 16 adapted to extend over and embrace the outer base flange 17 of the other track rail 3. The fuel pipe 10 extends outwardly from the collar 15 and has a collar 18 fixed thereon. Encircling the outwardlyextending end of the pipe 10 between the collars 15 and 18 is a spring 19 which forces the-collar l5 and its jaw lfitoward the collar 12 and its jaw 13 and thereby causes the jaws 13 and 1 6to grip the rail base flanges 14 and 17, respecto be raised into position to engage the base flange 17. The collar 15 and its jaw 16 are then released and thespring 19 forces the jaws l3 and 16 toward each other and into firm engagement with the rail base flanges 14 and 17. The unit may be easily and quickly removed from the track rails by a reversal of the operation just described.

Each pipe 10 is provided with two fuel burners 20 each of which is constructed as follows: Embracing the pipe 10 is a oxlike guard 21 having a top wall 22, side walls 23 and end walls '24: and having an open bottom. The top wall 22 has outwardly projecting arms 25 which rest upon the pipe 10 and are secured thereto in any convenient manner. The means herein illustrated for this purpose consists of rivets 26 which penetrate the arms 25 and pipe 10. The respective sides of the pipe 10, within the guard 21 have upwardly and outwardly diverging fuel discharging openings 27, each of which lsarranged to direct a fuel burning flame therefrom toward the top wall 22 of the guard 21 in a manner to cause the flame to impinge against the wall 22 and to be thereby deflected toward the adjacent side wall 23 and through a flame discharging slot or opening 28 therein, so that a flame of burning fuel will be projected from the respective sides of the burner 20.

The burners 20 are arranged beneath the main and switch rails 3 and 5, respectively, in such position that when one switch rail 5 is closed against one main rail 3 and the other switch rail 5 is open or spaced from the other main rail 3, the tongues of flame from the respective sides of the burners 20 will be projected against the bottom of the closed switch rail 5 and the adjacent main rail 3, and up through the space between the open switch rail 5 and the adjacent main rail 3, thereby heatin the main and switch rails 3 and 5 and t e space between the open switch rail 5 and the adjacent main rail 3, and thus melting any snow that may fall upon the rails or within the space between the open switch rail and adjacent main rail, and preventing the formation of ice in the heated regions. When the units 7 of a series are arranged between each two adjacent ties at the pointed end portions of the switch rails 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, the entire region between each two adjacent burners 20 and for some distance be yond the burners of the outer units 7 of the series, in the direction of the rails 3 and 5,

will be heated sufliciently to keep the switch free from ice and snow in the parts thereof which are, in the absence of the heat, crippled or rendered inoperative when snow falls or ice tends to form upon and about the parts of the switch.

I have discovered that a burner constructed as hereinbefore described will not only efl'ectually keep the switch free from ice and snow sufficiently to preserve the proper functioning thereof in all kinds of trains without disturbing the connection beand supporting said pipe.

weather, but also that it will successfully resist the tendency of wind and draft induced by rapidly moving trains from extinguishing the flame of burnin fuel.

The end of each pipe 10 ad acent to its jaw 13 is closed by a suitable head 30, and the other end thereof is suitably connected to the inner end of the connection 9 which is a flexible pipe. The outer ends of the flexible pipes 9 are connected to the fuel supply pipe 8 which is common to the units .7 of the series and through which fuel, preferably gas under pressure, maybe supplied to the units 7 and the burners 20 thereof.

The pipe 8 may be supported in any convenient manner independently of the rails, and, when so supported, the flexible connections 9 will permit the rails 3 and 5 to vibrate as usual under the influence of passing tween the units 7 and the source of fuel supy. The employment of the insulating connec:

tion 11 between the two sections'of the pipe 10 prevents short-circuiting when the rails 3 are used as electrical conductors for any useful purpose. When the rails are not used as electrical conductors the insulating coupling 11 may be omitted.

The side walls 23 of the box-like guard 21 5 are set at an incline, as illustrated, to direct the wind, blowing horizontally, upwardly past the openings 28 and thus prevent the force of the wind from accumulating in the region of the openings 28 as would otherwise occur if the walls 23 were vertical; and I preferably. incline the walls 23 downwardly and outwardly from the top of the guard 21 to direct the wind upwardly from the open bottom thereof, all for the purpose of preventing the flame of burning fuel from being extinguished.

I claim 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a railroad structure including a rail, of a fuel pipe adjacent to said rail, a fuel burner communicating withsaid pipe and carried thereby adjacent to saidrail, and means supported by said rail 2. In a device of the character described,

the combination with railroad rails and cross ties supporting the same, a fuel pipe extending between adjacent ties and transversely beneath said rails, a fuel burner communi- 2 eating with said pipe and carried thereby adjacent to one of said rails and means for clamping saidpipe to said rails.

In a device of the character described, the combination with railroad trails and cross ties supporting the same, a fuel pipe extending between adjacent ties and transversely beneath said rails, a fuel burner communicating with said pipe and carried thereby adjacent to one of said rails, clamp 13 int/anal ing jaws carried by said pipe and adapted to engage said rails, and means operative to move said jaws relatively to each other to clamp the device to said rails.

4. ln a device of the character described, the .combination with railroad rails and cross ties supporting the same, a fuel pipe extending between adjacent ties and transversely beneath said rails, a fuel burner communieating with said pipe and carried thereby adjacent to one of said rails, a jaw fixed on said pipe and adapted to engage one of said rails, a jaw movable on said pipe toward and from the other jaw and adapted to engage the other of said rails, and means operative to move said jaws relatively to each other to clam the device to said rails.

5. In adevice of the character described, the combination with railroad rails and cross ties supporting the same, a fuel pipe extendingbetween adjacent ties and transversely beneath said rails, a fuel burner communicating with said pipe and carried thereby adjacent to one of said rails, a jaw fixed on said pipe and adapted .to engage one of said rails, a jaw movable on said pipe toward and from the other jaw and adapted to engage the other of said rails, a collar fixed on said pipe in spaced relation to said movable jaw, and a spring interposed between sa1d movable jaw and said collar and operative to move said jaws relatively to each other to clamp the device to said rails.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with railroad rails and cross ties supporting the same, a fuel pipe extending between adjacent ties and transversely beneath said rails, a fuel burner communi eating with said pipe and carried thereby adjacent to one of said rails, and means for clamping said pipe to said rails, said pipe being formed in two sections electrically insulated from each other.

7 In a device of the character described, the combination with railroad rails and cross ties supporting the same, a plurality of fuel pipe units extending separately between adjacent ties and transversely beneath said rails, fuel burners communicating with 'said units and carried thereby adjacent to said rails, means for clamping said units to said rails, and a common fuel supply pipe connected to said units for supplying fuel thereto.

8. vln a device of the character described,

the combination with railroad rails and cross titl other, a fuel supply pipe common to said unit for supplying fuel thereto, and flexible pipes connecting said supply pipe and said the combination with a railroad structure including a rail, of a fuel burner supported adjacent to said rail and comprising a pipe having a fuel discharging opening therein, and a guard intersecting the axis of said opening and spaced therefrom in such close relation thereto that the flame from said opening will impinge against said guard.

10. lln a device of the character described, the combination with a railroad structure including a rail, of a fuel burner supported adjacent to said rail and comprising a pipe having a fuel discharging opening therein, and a guard extending adjacent to said opening and having a flame discharging opening therein out of alinement with said fuel discharging opening, said guard having a wall spaced from said fuel discharging opening and extending at an angle to the axis thereof and in such close relation thereto as to cause a flame from the fuel discharging opening to impinge against said wa l and to be thereby directed to and through the flame discharging opening.

11. In a device of the character described,"

the combination with a railroad structure including a rail, a fuel pipe supported below said rail and having a fuel discharging opening therein, and a box-like guard having an open bottom and inclosing said ipe and the opening therein and having a ame discharging opening, said guard having a wall spaced from said fuel discharging opening and extending at an angle to the axis thereof and in such close relation thereto as to cause a flame from the fuel discharging opening to impinge against said wall and to be thereby directed to and through the flame discharging opening.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination with railroad rails and cross ties supporting the same, a fuel pipe extending between adjacent ties and transversely beneath said rails and having fuel discharging openings therein, a jawfixed on said pipe and adapted to engage one of said rails, a jaw movable on said pipe toward and from the other jaw and adapted to engage the other of said rails, a collar fixed on said pipe in spaced relation to said movable jaw, a spring interposed between said movable jaw and said collar and operative to move said jaws relatively to-each other to clamp the device to said rails, and box-like guards having open bottoms and inclosing said pipe and the openings therein, said guards having flame-discharging opening therein.

13. In a device of the characterdescribed, the combination with a railroad structure including a rail, of a fuel pipe adjacent to rel ltd

said-raiha fuel burner communicating with 13g said rail,'means supported by said rail and supporting .said pipe, a fuel supply pipe supported adjacent tosaid'rail, and a flexi- 'ble connection between said pipes.

14. In a device of the character, described, the combination with railroad trails and cross ties supporting the same, an elementextending from one to the other of said rails, means for clamping said element to said rails, and a heatlng device carried by said element, i 15. In a device of the character described, the combination with railroad rails and cross ties supporting the same, an element extending from one to the other of said rails,yielding means for clamping said element to said rails, and a heating device carried by said element. a i Y 16. Ina device of the character described,

, the combination with a railroad structure,

including, a rail, of a fuel burner supported adjacent to said rail and comprising a pipe, having a fuel discharging opening therein, and a box-like guard, having an open bottom and inclosing said pipe and the open ing therein, said uardhaving a topwall and an inclined side wall having a flame discharging o ening therein and extending downwardly rom the top Wall.

17. Ina device of the character described, the combination with a railroad structure, including a rail, of a fuel burnerv supported adjacent to said rail and comprising a pipe,

DAVID F. VAUGHAN. 

